NAMI NEW JERSEY

NAMI NEW JERSEY

ADVOCACY NETWORK

ALERT

March 6, 2001

During the next 10 days the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Assembly Budget Committee will be holding joint hearings on the 2002 New Jersey State Budget that begins this July first. This budget contains several new initiatives that can have a significant impact on the lives of persons with a mental illness, but first they must pass the legislature.

Immediate Action Required:

We must contact the committee members immediately and voice our support for the following budget initiatives:

$52.5 million to fully fund effective programming and safe and sanitary conditions at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital.
$22 million to pay for more community-based group homes and supervised apartments for some of the hospital's patients, who will be released in coming months.
The budget also doubles -- from $28 million to $56 million -- the amount the state pays thousands of workers in group homes and other community programs serving people with disabilities and mental illnesses, and emotionally disturbed children. The increase would raise entry-level pay by $1 per hour, bringing starting salaries from $18,000 to $20,000 annually and slow the constant staff turnover that disrupts treatment.

Talking Points:

You may want to include some of the following talking points in your letter. It is most effective to tell how these apply to you or to your family member.

New Jersey must develop and implement a statewide policy to ensure innovative, safe and sanitary psychiatric facilities that provide appropriate care. The deteriorating buildings of Greystone should be replaced. The size of the hospital that replaces it should be based on a realistic assessment of the current and future census projection.
There must be accountability for insuring the availability of adequate beds in a therapeutic setting to prevent overcrowding and deteriorating conditions in our state hospitals.
Early intervention and appropriate inpatient and outpatient treatment must be accessible to all individuals suffering from a serious mental illness.
Community programs providing residential, rehabilitative and optimal employment services need to be accessible and provide outreach to persons with a serious mental illness.
The community mental health system must be provided with adequate resources to serve all persons with a serious mental illness, including those who have been inappropriately incarcerated in our jails and prisons.
There is a looming residential crisis for persons with a mental illness. Less than 4% of those with a serious mental illness receive state funded supportive residential services. Years of deinstitutionalization have placed the burden of care on family caregivers who now average sixty-five years of age.

Below you will find a list of committee members. Write to the committee chairs and any legislator who represents your district. Please forward a copy of any letter you send to: Phil Lubitz, NAMI NEW JERSEY, 1562 Route 130, North Brunswick, NJ 08902.

SENATE BUDGET and APPROPRIATIONS

Senator Robert E. Littell , Republican, Chairman

P.O. Box 328, Franklin, NJ 07416 (973)-827-2900

Senator Peter A. Inverso , Republican, Assistant Majority Leader 14

3691A Nottingham Way, Hamilton Square, NJ 08690 (609)-586-1330

Senator Martha W. Bark , Republican 8

3000 Midlantic Dr., Suite 103, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054 (856)-234-8080

Senator Wayne R. Bryant , Democrat 5

501 Cooper St., Camden, NJ 08102 (856)-757-0552

Senator Anthony R. Bucco , Republican, Assistant Majority Leader 25

60 Broadway, Denville, NJ 07834 (973)-627-9700

Senator Sharpe James , Democrat 29

50 Park Place, Suite 1535, Newark, NJ 07102 (973)-622-0007

Senator Walter J. Kavanaugh , Republican 16

76 North Bridge St., Somerville, NJ 08876 (908)-526-4222

Senator Bernard F. Kenny , Democrat, Assistant Minority Leader 33

235 Hudson St., Suite 1, Hoboken, NJ 07030 (201)-653-1466

Senator Joseph M. Kyrillos , Republican, Majority Conference Leader 13

One Arin Park Bldg., Suite 301, 1715 Hwy. 35, Middletown, NJ 07748 (732)-671-3206

ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS

Assemblyman Richard H. Bagger , Republican, Appropriations Chair 22

203 Elm St., Westfield, NJ 07090 (908)-232-3673

Assemblyman Leonard Lance , Republican, Budget Chair 23

119 Main St., Flemington, NJ 08822 (908)-788-6900

Assemblywoman Connie Myers, Republican 23

124 W. Washington Ave., Washington, NJ 07882 (908)-835-1202

Assemblyman Joseph Charles , Democrat, Minority Leader Pro-Tempore

P.O. Box E, Jersey City, NJ 07304 (201)-432-1400

Assemblywoman Clare M. Farragher , Republican, Deputy Speaker

400 West Main St., 3rd Floor, Freehold, NJ 07728 (732)-462-9009

Assemblyman John C. Gibson , Republican

14 Route 50, Suite A, Seaville, NJ 08230 (609)-624-1222

Assemblyman John V. Kelly , Republican

371 Franklin Ave., 2nd Fl., Nutley, NJ 07110 (973)-667-6123

Assemblyman Richard A. Merkt , Republican

12 Old Brookside Rd., Randolph, NJ 07869 (973)-895-9100

Assemblyman William D. Payne , Democrat 29

40 Clinton St., Suite 200, Newark, NJ 07102 (973)-621-1400

Assemblyman Joseph Suliga , Democrat 20

315 Elmora Ave., Suite 208, Elizabeth, NJ 07208 (908)-353-7722

Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman , Democrat 15

226 W. State St., Trenton, NJ 08608 (609)-292-0500

Please Distribute this Alert to other advocates for improved mental health services in New Jersey. If you would like to recieve NAMI NEW JERSEY Advocacy Alerts by email, contact Phil Lubitz, the Advocacy Network Coordinator at mailto:aminj@sprynet.com or by phone (732) 940-0991.

NAMI NEW JERSEY: http://naminj.nami.org/naminj/